Wife of Cuban jailed in US wants world to fight injustice

Published: Thursday, October 2, 2008, 20:32 [IST]

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Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 2 (UNI) The wife of one of the five Cuban languishing in US prisons on espionage charges for the last ten years today appealed to the world community to raise voice against the injustice meted out to them.

''It is necessary to condemn this violation of human rights.

All the five Cuban heroes have been kept in solitary confinement, which is a violation of human rights,'' said Rosa Aurora Freijanes, wife of one of the Cuban prisoners.

She along with Nuris Pinero, a human rights activist and lawyer, were here as part of their campaign for the release of five Cubans.

Talking to reporters about the mental agony faced by the family members of the five Cubans, she said US had delayed the granting of visas to the relatives of the five Cubans, imprisoned there since 1998.

''Adriana Perez could not visit her husband Gerardo Hernandez Nordelo since his arrest. She had applied for Visa eight times and on all occasions, the US government had denied her visa.'' Similar was the case of all the spouses of the Cubans jailed. ''Mothers, sisters and even lawyers are being prevented from meeting them,''Freijanes claimed.

Cuban Ambassador to India Miguel Angel Ramirez Ranos, who was also present with the two Cubans, said it was violation of human rights to have jailed the five Cubans, who had fought against terrorism.

''This is a political issue more than a legal issue. We need political support to free them,'' he added.

Lawyer Nuris Pinero said Fernando Gonzales, Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labanino, Antonio Guerrero and Rene Gonzales, who had gone to the US in 1998 to monitor certain Miami-based organisations that were allegedly sponsoring unlawful activities in Cuba were arrested.

''These five had not done any terrorist activity in the US.'' They have been kept in solitary confinement, not allowing their families and lawyers to meet them, which was a violation of human rights, she said.

According to her even the United Nations had voiced its concern over the case and had asked the US to examine the matter afresh.

''We are now in the process of filing an appeal in the Supreme Court,'' she said and appealed for support to set the five Cubans free.